Town aids family who lost home in fire

Published: Thursday, January 2, 2014 at 04:30 PM.

Bessemer City is a town full of love and support, said resident Rick Roberts. Roberts knows that firsthand because he was the recipient of that love when his family’s home went up in flames the day after Christmas.

The Roberts’ house held three generations of the family, including a 4-month-old boy with special needs. It was a total loss after the fire. The blaze started around 5:30 a.m. in a front bedroom and worked its way into the attic.

James Inman, Bessemer City manager, got a call about the fire that morning.

Bessemer City Fire Chief Jamie Ramsey told Inman the family had lost everything. And Inman knew the close-knit community would rally.

His wife, Michelle Inman, drove by the home that morning to see what the family would need.

“She spoke with the young girl and found out the child had some health issues,” Inman said. “At that point they had no formula. They were having to water down milk to give him.”

A quick post on the city’s Facebook page resulted in a major response. Within an hour and a half, the family received a two-week supply of formula, Inman said.

Bessemer City is a town full of love and support, said resident Rick Roberts. Roberts knows that firsthand because he was the recipient of that love when his family’s home went up in flames the day after Christmas.

The Roberts’ house held three generations of the family, including a 4-month-old boy with special needs. It was a total loss after the fire. The blaze started around 5:30 a.m. in a front bedroom and worked its way into the attic.

James Inman, Bessemer City manager, got a call about the fire that morning.

Bessemer City Fire Chief Jamie Ramsey told Inman the family had lost everything. And Inman knew the close-knit community would rally.

His wife, Michelle Inman, drove by the home that morning to see what the family would need.

“She spoke with the young girl and found out the child had some health issues,” Inman said. “At that point they had no formula. They were having to water down milk to give him.”

A quick post on the city’s Facebook page resulted in a major response. Within an hour and a half, the family received a two-week supply of formula, Inman said.

In the coming days, Inman said the Roberts’ fellow residents went further. Inman got calls from hundreds of people looking to donate. More than 50 of those donations poured in.

People brought furniture, clothing, food and even money. On the day of the fire, Rick Roberts was already singing praises for the town he calls home.

“Bessemer City has been wonderful,” he said. “You won’t see another city come together to help like that.”

People and church groups drove by the home well into the evening. They’d roll down the window and ask what the family needed. A few minutes later, they’d come back with the requested items.

“There was one church who came right up here and ask for our sizes and just a few minutes later were back with a bunch of clothes and blankets for us,” said Kandy Riddle, Roberts’ daughter and mother to 4-month-old Chance.

One of the donations came from a woman who had recently lost her husband. She hadn’t been able to relinquish his clothes.

When she heard about the Roberts family, she knew it was time to let the wardrobe go. Inman met her and accepted the clothing.

“This was touching to her and she felt like she could finally part with them,” Inman said.

The police department opened up the building to help house donations. Soon that space was filled. So the First United Methodist Church in Bessemer City agreed to take in the donations while the family looks for permanent housing.

Inman is now asking donors to hold off on giving anything that needs to be stored. A form to donate money is available at the police department.

“I’m just overwhelmed by the compassion of the people of this community,” said Inman. “I believe in servant leadership. That’s kind of my mantra. The role of government isn’t just about streets and sewers. It’s about helping the everyday needs for its citizens.”

You can reach reporter Lauren Baheri at 704-869-1842 or Twitter.com/lbaheri.